Bloggin' on down the Rogue...

Field Day

Amateur Radio Field Day

June 24 and 25, 2006

Here in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area see the web site www.w8dc.org, GRARA for information. You may have to make contact as the field day may not be an official club function.

Other area clubs that may be doing a field day site are IRA [www.w8hvg.org] , Lowell Amateur Radio Club [http://www.qsl.net/w8lrc/Frame/index.htm], and one of the active clubs around, MARA [www.w8usa.org].

Dayton Hamvention® Announces 2006 Award Winners

Dayton Hamvention has announced the winners of its 2006 Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement and Technical Excellence awards. Being honored for their contributions to the Amateur Radio Service are Gordon West, WB6NOA--Amateur of the Year; Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH--Special Achievement Award, and Dick Illman, AH6EZ--Technical Excellence Award.

Dayton Hamvention® Announces 2006 Award Winners

The Hamvention will be held this year from May 19-21. Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio

White House to Tap Virginian as Fifth FCC Member

President George W. Bush has announced his intention to nominate Republican Robert M. McDowell of Virginia to serve on the FCC for the remainder of a five-year term expiring June 30, 2009. If confirmed by the US Senate, McDowell--a telecommunications attorney--would bring the Commission back to its statutory five-member complement. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin applauded the president's announcement.

White House to Tap Virginian as Fifth FCC Member

Lets just hope that President Bush is not appointing any more Rah Rah cheerleaders for BPL!

Mining Disaster Survivor Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, Reported Improving

There's encouraging news this week on the medical condition of Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, the sole survivor of the January 2 Sago mining disaster in West Virginia. Rick Robinson, W8ZT, reports he spoke with McCloy's brother-in-law, Rick McGee January 18, and received an upbeat report on the 26-year-old miner's progress.

Mining Disaster Survivor Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, Reported Improving

KB5AVY is winner of third annual Lynch Award

Dr Roberto Dabdoub, KB5AVY, of Metairie, Louisiana, has been named the recipient of the W. Sandy Lynch (W7BX/7J1ABV) Memorial Award. Given annually by the Tokyo International Amateur Radio Association (TIARA), the award seeks to exemplify Lynch's dedication to the hobby and his personality. For 20 years, Dr Dabdoub, a native of Honduras, has kept four repeaters on the air in the New Orleans area, and one of them was the only machine to remain working in the metro area following Hurricane Katrina. During a critical period, his system became the only link between the Baton Rouge emergency operations center and other relief and emergency centers involved in critical rescue work. The repeater was able to stay on the air because of the auxiliary power source at its location, Ochsner Clinic Foundation. "There were many ham radio operators and stations, both on HF and VHF, involved in the response to the Katrina disaster," TIARA President Steven Herman, K7USJ/7J1AIL, said in announcing the award winner. "We want this year's award to symbolize what a single ham and our so-called old-fashioned communications systems can do for the public when disaster strikes." TIARA says Dr. Dabdoub lost his home in the disaster. Just last year, his insurance carrier discontinued his policy because of changes in flood zone regulations where he lives near Lake Pontchartrain.

KB5AVY is winner of third annual Lynch Award

There has been so much publicity of activities surrounding the hurricane disasyer that people are pretty much "disastered" out. Thus many people deserving of recognition get pushed aside. Well Done, Roberto!

Gerritsen Convicted on All Counts in Radio Jamming Case

A US District Court jury has found Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California, guilty on six counts that included transmitting without a license and willful and malicious interference with radio transmissions. Gerritsen, 69, who briefly held the amateur call sign KG6IRO, will face sentencing March 6, according to the office of Debra W. Yang, US Attorney for the Central District of California. He could receive up to 15 years in federal prison.

Gerritsen Convicted on All Counts in Radio Jamming Case

The jammer got his just deserts. Unfortuantely there are more than a few of these 11 meter types free roaming the ham bands. This case has taken YEARS to finally end, during which Gerritsen continued his activities.

Now for some action on the K1MAN case...

FCC Affirms $42,000 in Fines in Radio Jamming Case

The FCC has affirmed a total of $42,000 in additional fines against reputed Los Angeles-area radio jammer Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO. The FCC released the two $21,000 Forfeiture Orders (NOF) just days before Gerritsen is due to appear in federal court to stand trial on a felony charge of malicious interference with a communications system operated by the United States and a misdemeanor count of transmitting radio signals without a license, according to a statement earlier this year from the office of Debra W. Yang, US Attorney for the Central District of California. If convicted, Gerritsen, 68, could spend up to 11 years in federal prison. In affirming the fines, the FCC again turned away every argument Gerritsen offered in responding to each Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL), including a "freedom of speech" claim.

FCC Affirms $42,000 in Fines in Radio Jamming Case

FCC as Cheerleader of BPL... my solution!

ARRL, FCC Continue BPL "Interference Resolution" Database Debate (Dec 2, 2005) -- The acting chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) is standing foursquare behind the recently opened Broadband over Power Line (BPL) Interference Resolution Web site. The deadline for BPL operators to populate the database, provided by the United Power Line Council (UPLC) and the United Telecom Council (UTC), was November 19. In October, the ARRL took strong exception to limitations UTC, the site's administrator, has imposed on the number of allowable licensee searches and to the use of ZIP codes as the only search key. Acting OET Chief Bruce Franca defended the BPL database November 22.

The FCC continues to act as a cheerleader for a bad technology! One can only assume that they are stockholders or have been promised lucrative job positions after leaving federal employment.

1. Wherever interference from BPL is encountered first try all legal steps to get the company to stop interfering.
2. Follow up and complain to the FCC.
3. Keep ARRL up to date as to what you have done to try to mitigate the noise trouble.
4. When all else fails, remember that BPL is a part 15 UNLICENSED service. We can legally set up LICENSED beacon transmitters that auto-identify near the offending BPL sites. Each time the beacon transmits it will take out the BPL service. They have no recourse because they are an unlicensed part 15 radiator and must accept all interference! This can not be construed as jamming as we are providing a service to other licensed radio operators and have every right to be transmitting in our assigned bands. The part 15 radiators will have already been notified to cease and desist and have no rights to complain about any interference from our legal licensed service.

All licensed spectrum users may participate in this effort by relocating a high power transmitting antenna near the power lines carrying the BPL. NTIA knows and recognizes how bad BPL really is. Initially they supported the ARRL position, but political pressure from the White House forced them to moderate. The still strongly oppose BPL being installed near sensitive military installations because of the interference potential, but now they say the noise is acceptable for the rest of us! BULL HOOEY!